Yes, neither is incorrect but mescal seems like an older term in English while mezcal is the definitive spelling in Spanish. In the English speaking world it really depends on which publication you’re reading because magazines like the New Yorker use mescal. As I write thsi response Word Press labels mescal as correct and mezcal as incorrect. Some publications use both interchangeably while still others have made the leap to mezcal. Maybe it’s finally time to find a good etymologist. Any volunteers?

I have encountered the idea that changing the s to z was an attempt to distance the product from any association with mescaline, the hallucinatory compound found in several types of cactus, peyote being one. There are still abundant and silly connotations which blur the line between the authentic distilled product and the stuff of drug lore. I cannot quote a reliable source.

Mezclado was the term used in colonial Mexico for pulque that had been mixed with psychoactive herbs, including hallucinogens. In something like 1545-50 the Viceroy of Mexico outlawed Pulque Mezclado. Whereas planting wine grapes was required of land-grant hidalgos (“sons of somebody”) the altiplano was too arid (exception: baja near Tecate). My understanding is that the Spanish, desperate for hooch, were using their on-board brandy stills to distill un-mixed pulque, hence Mezcal (and Tequila.)
My source for this information is Alcohol: A History by Roderic Phillips, University of North Carolina Press.

The word Mezcal means cooked agave, and comes from the words “Metl: Maguey” und “Ixcally: cooked” from the nahuatl lenguaje, where its combined as “Mexcalli”. Why is it writen Mezcal in Spanish, because, the word in Nahualt is written: (me-šcal-tli) so this little accent over the “S” makes a phoneme “z”similar to the phoneme “th” in english, which in spanish from spain has a similar sound. Both words are accepted in english though. In Spain they write Mexico: “Méjico” and it is accepted, so the rules can vary from country to country even with the same lenguaje.

About Us

We are Susan Coss and Max Garrone. We like mezcal and think you should to. We are committed to telling the story of mezcal within the context of its history and cultural connection. We also think education should be fun and delicious. And we are deeply committed to supporting the craft of production and the people who work tirelessly to bring us mezcal.

We write Mezcalistas, consult, and organize mezcal events. We have small, monthly, tastings called Spirited Conversations which bring key figures from the mezcal world face-to-face with aficionados and influencers. We also organize large mezcal tastings called Mexico in a Bottle, which is the largest mezcal event in the United States. Mexico in a Bottle currently appears in San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Denver. It will expand to additional cities soon.

Susan Coss is a long time marketing and communications strategist in the world of sustainable food and beverages. She was most recently the Director of Marketing and PR for CUESA, the organization that runs the world famous Ferry Plaza Farmers market in San Francisco. She is also a co-founder and former director of the Eat Real Festival, that drew more than 250,000 people in its first three years. She has spent time in Oaxaca since 2003 and has established food and beverage relationships all over California, Mexico and Washington, DC. She has a degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Max Garrone has been a journalist and editor who covered events as diverse as presidential elections and the meaning of David Lynch’s movies for publications like Salon.com and SFGate.com. He is currently a content strategist and digital media consultant.

To chat or find the answer to your niggling mezcal question just email us!